For all of the unsung and sung heros who have fought so solidly, bravely and with humility for our young country , I salute and sing to you with tears of gratitude and without forbearance to you on this Veterans Day of 11-11-11. 

As each new day begins and then waxes bright with the moon's leer-- do not fear, for there are those of us here who have you in our hearts and know truly "who you are", what you have sacrificed, and what "you" will never be able to forget or forgive in the banks of your seared memory and souls that have stood steadfast for us all.

Whether you have now laid shallow below our heart-sleeved graves or amongst farmlands or overgrown trafficked-highways . . . for a hundred years, for a few decades, a few years or for only one strong-breathed moment, we salute you, and we cry because we are proud.

Whether you are serving your 100th day overseas, your 365th, your first hour or stationed in another state far away from your longing babes who clung to your calves when you left; from your elderly parents who stood stoic on the tarmac; or away from your high school sweetheart who you first kissed under hometown skies . . . we salute you, and we cry because we are proud.

Although our great nation seems to be fighting our own battle amongst our own lively, passionate and even disheartened citizens, we are still soulful and we fight because we know we have something to fight for . . . something to battle for . . . and for this, we salute you, and we cry because we are proud.

For all of the privates and generals who died violent steep deaths or slow painful ones during The Civil War, we still think about you, the sacrifices you made and the freedoms and revolutionary ideals that were born and bred due to your bravery and brevity.

And for this, we salute you, and we cry because we are proud.

For our humble and hard working men and women who came from every corner of the United States and from every race, creed, religion and class who fought and toiled in The Second World War; who left large and small families, and businesses and dreams behind in order to battle and free the world from evil, we salute you, and we cry because we are proud.

For "lost and found" men who were drafted to fight in The Vietnam War, "those" boys who were too young to drink cold beers on hot summer days; those who had planned to attend college, those who were going to take over family businesses, and those who planned nothing at all but to live a happy life free of nightmares and severed limbs, we salute you, and we cry because we are proud.

We are "all" still able to dream in and of a nation that is strong and well-shouldered in faith and moral conviction, while mightily holding up our nation's flag for other nations to revere . . . only because you have allowed us the opportunity to do so.

And for this we salute you, and we cry because we are proud.